New Dormitories

Dorm life plays an important role in the success of the Job Corps program, allowing students to develop employability skills by living and learning together on campus. Ten Job Corps centers invested more than $34 million in much-needed new dorms, including the Columbia Basin Job Corps Center in Moses Lake, Washington.

The center, which trains 290 students, had been operating at capacity. ARRA funds have helped create new space for students.

Columbia Basin sits on the former site of the Larsen Air Force Base, and the new dorm will allow some of the old housing facilities to be renovated and converted into additional training and administrative buildings to further benefit current and future students and staff.

Many students at the Golconda Job Corps Center in Golconda, Illinois, are now living in a new, state-of-the-art dormitory - a construction project that afforded students at Golconda with a variety of hands-on learning opportunities.

The 68-bed male dormitory was built by 2M Construction Group, Inc., with Golconda plumbing students assisting in the installation of the piping and drainage system. The $3 million dormitory features thermoplastic polyolefin roofing that is heat-reflective and heat-resistant, which reduces the energy output required to heat and cool the dorm. Independent water and energy meters that measure energy output and compare it to other buildings were also installed. Other features include the use of siding made with recycled products, and the installation of low-flow showers, sinks, and toilets, as well as energy-efficient water heaters, boilers, and air conditioning units.

At the Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, $2.7 million was used for a new single-parent dorm. The dorm will allow parents at Job Corps to train for their careers while staying close to their children. Up to 18 students and their children will be able to take advantage of the efficiency apartment-style rooms at any given time. The building is outfitted with automatic light sensors, Energy-Star-rated washers and dryers, and energy-efficient HVAC units and also includes a laundry room, kitchen, lounge, and residential advisor's office.

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